The United States men's national volleyball team is set to face top seed Japan in the semi-finals on Saturday, August 1.
The United States advanced by sweeping Italy, the reigning world champions 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21) in the quarterfinals. Jake Hanes led the Americans to the VNL semifinals for the fifth time in history.
It was a battle of aces against Italy, with the Americans scoring six in the first set, five in the second and three in the third for a total of 14 aces, compared to Italy's five. Jake Hanes led the way from the line, finishing with six aces through the three sets.
The convincing win over Italy sends the Americans into the semifinals, where they will look to build on that performance against Japan.
Japan had an undefeated 12-0 record, making them the No. 1 seed heading into the finals. They defeated the home team of China 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-23) to advance to the semifinals.
Ran Takahashi had a dominant game putting up 21 points against China. The semifinal matchup will come down to Japan's ability to slow down the United States' offense while creating consistent scoring opportunities of its own.
Head-to-Head History
The last time the two teams met was during Week 2 pool play in Orleans, France in June 2026. Japan defeated the United States in a tight 3-2 match (18-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13).
Match Details
The semi-final clash between the United States and Japan will be held at the Beilun Gymnasium in Ningbo, China.
The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 AM (ET) on August 1, 2026.
How to watch USA vs. Japan
The Volleyball Nations League Finals is available to stream on VBTV, the broadcast rights are held by DAZN.
USA vs. Japan Match Odds
USA | Japan | |
Money Line | -138 | +100 |
Total | U 185.5 -120 | O 185.5 -120 |
Handicap | -1.5 +150 | +1.5 -200 |
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All odds written in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
